Wednesday, May 3, 2017

PHILADELPHIA CITY COUNCILWOMAN Helen Gym, the first Asian/American woman to serve in that body, is being recognized as one of the country's rising political stars.“The EMILY’s List community is excited to announce Philadelphia City Councilwoman Helen Gym as the winner of the 2017 Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award,” said Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY’s List.

EMILY’s List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, said that Gym is receiving the 2017 Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award. The award will be presented at the We Are EMILY gala in Washington, D.C. today, which will feature a keynote address from Sen. Elizabeth Warren and remarks by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who will present the award. The Rising Star Award celebrates an extraordinary woman serving in state or local office.

“Helen has displayed an unwavering dedication to the women and families in her community," said Schriock."Her leadership sets a standard for public office holders across the country.

"At a time when this administration and its GOP allies are working to roll back the clock on women’s progress, pro-choice Democratic women like Helen are our first line of defense," said Schriock. "We are proud to celebrate Helen’s commitment to standing up for the most vulnerable communities and fighting back in a time when our fundamental principles are being threatened. We could not be more excited to see what she will accomplish.”

The We Are EMILY gala will also honor the resistance of the millions of women across the country who are leading the charge against Donald Trump and his Republican allies in office. Since Election Day, over 11,000 women have reached out to EMILY’s List indicating their intent to run for office.

Elected in 2015, Helen Gym became Philadelphia’s first Asian/American woman elected to city council. She won her at-large seat after 20 years of grassroots organizing on behalf of Philadelphia’s public education system and immigrant communities. In her first year, she won historic investments toward universal pre-K and youth homelessness, and expanded resources for public schools. Gym is now leading the charge nationally around sanctuary cities and immigrant rights – and becoming a leading voice for cities resisting and winning with a progressive agenda.

About the award: The award honors a woman who demonstrates the sort of commitment to community, dedication to women and families, and determination and civility that have been the highlights of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ career, in and out of office. Previous recipients include Colorado House Speaker Crisanta Duran (2016), Boston City Councilwoman Ayanna Pressley (2015), and Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams (2014).

EMILY’s List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, has raised over $500 million to support pro-choice Democratic women candidates – making them one of the most successful political organizations ever.

Forty percent of the candidates EMILY’s List has helped elect to Congress have been women of color - including every single Democratic Asian/American,Latina and African/American congresswoman currently serving.

The 'List's' grassroots community of over five million members helps Democratic women wage competitive campaigns – and win. It recruits and trains candidates, supports strong campaigns, researches the issues that impact women and families, and turns out women voters. Since its founding in 1985, we have trained nearly 10,000 women to run and helped elect 116 women to the House, 23 to the Senate, 12 governors, and over 800 to state and local office.